Hurd and CO lawmakers send letter to Dept. of Ag calling for USFS workers to be reinstated
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — As Colorado approaches dry season, state lawmakers penned a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture calling for the rehiring of 3,000 forest service staff.
Of those 3,000, many are 'incident qualification card holders' or red card holders that indicate they passed and completed the required training to fight wildfires.
In response, Congressman Jeff Hurd (CD-3) joined several Colorado Democrats including Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Brittany Pettersen, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse and Jason Crow.
Rep. Hurd talked with WesternSlopeNow about the cuts and says 'I support the president's efforts to make government more efficient, to make government more responsive, to make government more effective. Part of that means making savings and cuts. We just need to make sure they are done in the right spot. And I think people that work in these agencies, they will tell you yes, there are places where we can realize efficiencies, we just need to make sure that we do it in the right places. So, cutting those firefighters, the red card holders, the ones that are able to help when we have wildland fires in our forest service, cutting those individuals is probably not the best place to do that.'
WesternSlopeNow also obtained statements from Reps. Petterson, DeGette and Crow and Gov. Jared Polis on the cuts. Their statements are below.
Rep. Petterson: 'The Trump administration's decision to lay off 3,000 trained employees who prevent and respond to fires right ahead of peak wildfire season is incredibly reckless. This move puts lives, homes, and entire communities at risk. The administration must reverse course immediately and restore these critical positions to protect Coloradans.'
Rep. DeGette: 'The United States Forest Service plays a vital role in the management of our public lands and protection against wildfires. Since Colorado is prone to wildfires, we depend on a strong USFS to keep us safe. These individuals shouldn't have been laid off in the first place, as many of them are specially trained and certified to fight wildland fires. Their reinstatement will help us combat these climate-related threats, and I will continue to advocate for protecting the public servants who keep Colorado's treasured public lands safe and accessible.'
Rep. Crow: 'The loss of thousands of red-card carrying U.S. Forest Service workers puts Colorado at risk. As climate change and intensifying wildfires threaten our communities, it is important to reinstate those most qualified to fight wildfires and protect our families. That's why the Trump Administration must reverse these cuts to critical Forest Service workers.'
Gov. Polis: 'In Colorado, we know the devastating impact of wildfires on our communities and outdoors, and underscore the importance of mitigation efforts in lowering risk and keeping Coloradans safe. These Trump administration cuts are shortsighted and hurt Colorado's ability to meaningfully mitigate wildfires before they happen in addition to the important outcomes this workforce provides more broadly in the care of our public lands. Governor Polis appreciates the members of Colorado's federal delegation who joined this effort to have red card-holding Forest Service members reinstated and echoes the need for urgency before it's too late, and urges other members of the delegation to join this effort.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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